


Our Hill Of Stars

by millionmilesfrommars



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Coruscant (Star Wars), Dark Reylo, Drunk Sex, Drunken Confessions, Drunken Kissing, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Force Bond (Star Wars), Forced Bonding, Heartache, Jakku, M/M, Not Canon Compliant - Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, POV Second Person, Planet Naboo (Star Wars), Pool Sex, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Rey Needs A Hug, Reylo - Freeform, Shower Sex, Star Wars References, Tumblr: reylofanfictionanthology
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 06:22:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23966836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/millionmilesfrommars/pseuds/millionmilesfrommars
Summary: The Resistance has been stripped of its last hope with the death of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and the ascension of Kylo Ren to power. General Leia Organa has unexpectedly fallen ill in the wake of a new era. The First Order scrounges the galaxy for the Resistance, fiercely driving to destroy the insurgents once and for all. However, is Kylo Ren willing to decimate what he once sought to indoctrinate? Rey believes there is good left in Ben Solo--and she is inclined to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to bring him home.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Can You Hear Me?

**Author's Note:**

> Follow my Tumblr amillionmilesfrommars and don't forget to leave kudos!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This is my first fanfic so I'm nervous to share but hopeful nonetheless :)

He was everywhere and she couldn't rid herself of him.

Appearing in her dreams at night, his presence alone made her ache with dejection and anguish. No, the emotions weren't coming from Rey. They were coming from Ben. She was sucked into a pit of darkness, trying to claw her way out but making little progress. She screamed until her lungs threatened to collapse and until her throat blazed with agonizing pain. He was like an unshakable disease that had burrowed itself into her very core, dissentient to her wants and needs. All of her dreams had one thing in common, however. Just before she woke up, she was greeted by the painful memory of her parents' disappearance.

Most nights she woke up in a pool of sweat. Finn was usually by her side, desperately trying to calm her down. Her eyes were bloodshot and dreary; pupils were blown out like supernovas. "Rey, talk to me. Please." Finn said tenderly. As compassionate and humanitarian Finn could be, he couldn't come close to comprehending the least of Rey's problems. Despite his wistful past, unfortunately, she couldn't even begin to describe the feelings teeming her mind. All she could do was stare with hollow eyes, feverishly reminiscing about what could've been.

_I want you to join me, Rey._

A strong punch of guilt hit her in the stomach and suddenly she was on the ground. The force bond shuddered overwhelmingly and a fleet of nausea wracked her body. "Rey!" Finn gasped while throwing his arms out towards her. She dry heaved into her hands before the contents of her stomach couldn't be contained anymore. Rey expelled her dinner instantaneously. She could feel Ben's presence through the bond--intense, observant, dispirited. He was so entwined with her emotions that she couldn't tell where her thoughts began and he ended. It was almost too overbearing. "What's going on with you? I...I uh-don't understand much about this Jedi stuff, but I know this isn't supposed to happen.

Rey couldn't fathom what was supposed to happen. She knew to be a Jedi involved copious amounts of sacrifice and endeavor, according to Luke, but now she was unhinged. There wasn't anything to abide by anymore.

"Water,"

"Huh?" She said quickly. "You should drink some water," Finn suggested while thrusting a flask of water towards her. Her throat practically screamed with anticipation. Throwing her head back, she downed the entirety of the supply. Finn's gaze lingered on her face before he turned away abruptly. "I'm going to go get the doctor." Rey dropped the flask and it clattered against the ground. "No!" 

Finn turned to face her and furrowed his brow. "I don't know what to do anymore," He began slowly. His eyes looked glassy in the fluorescent flickering of the lamp beside her. "I'll always be there for you if you need me. I just..I can't figure out what's going on with you nowadays." Rey's throat ached with the urge to cry. 

"Finn...you're my friend and I'm so thankful to have you. This is something I need to--" Need to what? Figure out? How is she supposed to _understand_ anything to do with the force when she was without guidance? Her lips parted slightly but nothing came out. "I get it. I have to be up early tomorrow, so I'm going back to bed. If anything happens again, I'm in the next room over." He said gently. "Goodnight Finn." She whispered. There was no answer. She shifted uncomfortably while lethargically wiping up the rancid liquid on the floor. '

She fell back onto her creaky bed hastily. Rey felt like total shit. She covered her eyes with her hands and sighed heavily. 

"I take this is not a good time." A masculine voice said indifferently. Rey immediately rose from her bed, only to meet Ben's scrutinizing gaze from the other end of her bunker. His arms were folded against his black attire. His lightsaber was clipped to his belt menacingly. His hair was slightly tousled and a thin layer of sweat glistened on his forehead. He seemed unphased as usual.

"Why?" She managed to say without crying. He raised an eyebrow, staring as if she were transparent. "Why what?" 

"I don't understand any of this. I don't understand why I had to have a bond with--with _you._ " His body trembled slightly. For a moment, she thought he was hurt but his expression immediately hardened. "Do you honestly think I chose this? In any other circumstance, I wouldn't have chosen such a connection with a _scavenger._ Talking with the traitor as if I didn't exist and invading my dreams like a cretin." His words stung like a blaster bullet in her stomach.

"You think I choose to be in your dreams?! You're the one that's always always in my head!! I can't do this anymore Ben, _just leave me alone!"_ She shouted, her voice cracking. He exhaled sharply through his nostrils and took a step towards her. His eyes blazed with untamed anger that made Rey fear him for a split second. His hands balled into fists and his lips twitched. 

"I gave you a choice," He said through clenched teeth. "When the resistance burns, and you die with it, it will have been by your own foolish choice." Rey's hands brushed against her lightsaber. It would be so easy just to-- 

"If you dare as even ignite that saber I will send ships to decimate that piteous planet you're hiding on right now." Her stomach dropped. He was toying with her, he had to be! Rey's breathing grew ragged and uneven.

"You're lying. You don't know where we are." She hissed. The sides of his lips turned upwards slightly. Was he _smiling_? She couldn't tell. 

"You're on Kamino." 

Her hands were shaking uncontrollably now. She felt completely and utterly defenseless in front of him. A part of her wondered if he liked seeing her disheveled and furious. 

"You..you're a coward. You'd rather see your mother _die_ than face her. And your father.." 

"Don't you bring him into this! Han Solo was foolish and weak. He...is not my concern anymore." Suddenly his eyes looked sunken and defeated. She could sense his mournfulness through the bond as much as he tried to hide it. It was swallowing him whole. Another emotion swarmed her mind...pity. Despite how hard she wanted to hate him, she could not ignore the feeling that he imposed upon her. 

"I expected more from you, Ben," Rey whispered. There was a sliver, a small trace of hope that came to the forefront of her mind, and as much as she wanted to believe there was good left in him, it seemed unlikely. She didn't realize she was crying until a small drop of moisture dampened her hand. She dug her fingernails into her palms and tried not to break down in front of him. She tilted her chin upward in an act of stoicism. He scoffed at her words and jolted towards her, his hand tightening around the hilt of his saber.

"Don't call me that! You know nothing of me or my duty!" He was too close now. Too close. Her hand immediately darted out and grabbed her lightsaber. She threw one of her legs out, heaving a foot into his chest. He swore with fury and stumbled backward and unclipped his saber. Before Rey could even ignite hers, the bond closed and Ben vanished from sight. 

She dropped her saber and collapsed onto her bed. The room was spinning and suddenly she couldn't withstand sleep any longer. The ghost of Ben's presence lingered in her mind, reminding her of the guilt that was weighing down upon her. She could've ended the war if she had taken his hand, _but she didn't._ She buried her face in her knees, slowly coming undone and discomposed. Rey felt that she was betraying the very thing she sought to defend by having the force bond with Ben--regardless of if she could control it or not. What would Leia think of her? What about Finn and Poe? 

She flipped to lay on her stomach and pressed her face into the pillow. It's straw-like texture offered little comfort as she slowly slipped into darkness. 

What would her parents think?

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

  
Rey awoke the next morning feeling extremely irritable and unrested. The events of the night before flashed through her mind. In seconds, she was grabbing her staff and sprinting out of the small bunker. How could she tell Leia that the First Order knew their mecca? Leia was already in a terrible state--she was sickened with a rare disease from prolonged solar radiation. Her condition was worsening by the day and the added stress was gratuitous. Ben was oblivious to his mother's worsening state and she knew there was no compassion left in his heart. It hurt more than she realized.

She threw the door open to Rose's bunker. "Rose, I need to talk to you!" Rey shouted. Rose was crouched over an MSE-6 droid with indiscriminate tools laid across the ground. She dropped the wrench she was holding and it clattered onto the ground. Her shirt was speckled with oil and grease. Her face was creased with worry. "What is it?" 

Rey took a deep breath.

"What I'm going to say, it's going to seem strange...and it may even seem untruthful...but you need to listen." Rose nodded and shifted her body to face Rey. 

"I talked to Kylo Ren. And, well, the thing is," Rey began. Rose's mouth parted in surprise. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but she remained silent. Rey's heart was beating out of her chest and anxiety began to flourish in her chest. "The First Order knows our whereabouts." 

Rey watched as the color drained from Rose's face.

"You...talked with Kylo Ren? The Supreme Leader of the First Order? Like the psychotic star-destroying convict?" She said exasperatedly. 

Rey's palms grew increasingly sweaty. "Yes," 

"We can't stay here! We need to leave right now! Rey, if what you're saying is true-" She paused and looked significantly more worried. "then we need to tell Leia." 

"I know."

Rey remained silent as Rose gathered the rest of her tools and placed them into a makeshift bag. It was a wide cloth tied haphazardly around a thick Veshok branch. She threw the sack over her shoulder and scanned the room. 

"You, we're leaving." She commanded the the small droid beside them. It beeped impassively in response. 

"Rose wait," Rey said, reaching out to grab Rose's arm. 

"What is it?" She responded.

"I don't know if we should tell Leia. She's already under a lot of stress and I don't think this is going to help." Rey said slowly. Rose dwelled on her words and an awkward tension hung in the air. 

"What else are we supposed to do?" Rose questioned. 

"We can talk to Poe." Rey quickly said. She knew they couldn't keep the news from the rest of the Resistance, but they could at least defer from telling Leia for a little while. Poe had enough authority to command the entire resistance to relocated to another planet. They were currently hiding on Kamino, a desolate water planet otherwise abandoned from the days of the Clone Wars. The Resistance was hiding in the empty cloning facilities, a place the First Order shouldn't have even _considered_ checking.

Or so they thought.

Rey wanted to launch her lightsaber through a tree and destroy something. She took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. Luke once told her that anger lead to hate and hate leads to suffering. The path to the Dark Side. She tried to shake the unnerving feeling his words gave her, but she understood his sentiment. 

"Come on Rey, let's go." Rose said, snapping her out of her thoughts. Rey nodded and followed Rose out of the room.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Kylo swung his scorching lightsaber towards Kuruk's blade, incising through the metal almost instantaneously. The sword's melted innards dribbled onto the floor of the sparring room like a cauterized wound. With a satisfying thwack, he swept Kuruk's feet out from under him with a kick. This sent the young Knight of Ren plummeting downwards next to his ruined weapon. He threw his hands up defensively and then it was over.

"Good job," Kylo said, his voice wavering through his vocalizer. The young knight withdrew his helmet; a promising look plastered upon his face. Kylo could not hold in the scowl that escaped his mouth. He slid his saber into its holster and gazed at the pathetic boy.

"Really?" Kuruk said.

"No," Kylo scoffed while turning away gloomily. The knights loitering by the wall chuckled. 

"What's wrong with you today?" Ushar asked while slipping his blade into its holster. Kylo was not in the mood to be toyed with by Ushar. His frustration made his temples ache exceedingly. Kylo remained silent and exited the room, quickening his pace. He furrowed his brow and tried to pretend that Ushar wasn't trailing behind him like a lost mooka. 

"Is it Hux or something? He's _such_ an assho--" Kylo quickly silenced him with an unmerciful force-choke. Ushar's eyes grew frantic and pleading, clawing at his throat where Kylo cut off his oxygen

"Leave me alone." Kylo hissed before releasing the knight. He collapsed onto the ground, coughing and wheezing frantically. Kylo was desperately trying to get through his day without destroying another command module or nearly combusting a service droid. He was thankful that his mask hid the circles under his eyes from his lack of sleep. Two cups of caf wasn't enough to get him through the day; his actions whilst sparring proved him right. Although he had beaten each knight, Kylo knew his was fighting scrappily and uncoordinated. If he fought Rey in the state he was in he'd plausibly lose. 

The elevator doors sibilated open and Kylo stepped in. Before they could close, a leather hand grasped the metal bearings sharply and a man stepped in.

 _Speak of the devil,_ Kylo thought annoyedly. General Armitage Hux. 

"Good morning Supreme Leader." Hux hummed emotionlessly. He didn't glimpse in Kylo's direction or even face him. He said nothing. Thankfully, the doors swept open and Kylo rounded the corner without acknowledging the general. Hux already had little respect for him, why give him the satisfaction he craved? Hux was nothing more than a pathetic brown-nosing fool.

Upon entering his quarters, he practically tore off the mask that clung to his face. Sweat dribbled down his forehead and neck, claiming his flushed cheeks and slicking them. His raven locks fell upon his shoulders weightlessly. Kylo sucked in a deep breath of air before disrobing himself. At that moment, he had never been more thankful of a simple air conditioning unit in his life. The cool breeze wrapped him in a gentle blanket, urging him to befall into the depths of slumber. Kylo stalked towards his bed and collapsed on top of the silky fabric. 

Kylo couldn't help but wonder if his words had any effect on Rey. He could sense her hatred and unbridled anger towards him, yet he couldn't understand the guilt and pity that trespassed into his mind from hers. Did she feel _bad_ for him? Kylo's hands gripped his pillow tightly, palming the fabric peculiarly. 

Rey had no reason to pity him, yet he could feel her empathy drowning his solicitudes even when she deemed the bond closed. His heart rate hastened the more he thought about her. Could there still be a chance that she could be turned to the dark side? He closed his eyes and withdrew a ragged breath. 

He was going to turn Rey to the dark side even if it meant decimating the resistance.


	2. It Is Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Resistance is cornered and almost entirely destroyed. Kylo Ren realizes his underlying feelings for Rey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!

_Kamino, Rishi Maze._

"How did you even get in contact with Kylo Ren!?"

"A story for another day. But Poe, the longer we stay here the more vulnerable the resistance is. Kylo Ren is not a merciful man." Poe's eyes grew wide and weary. He scratched his chin anxiously before examining his monitor contemplatively. Rey knew the rest of the resistance would demand the reason behind the sudden relocation. It was inevitable. Yet how could she explain how she communicated with him? " "Kriff, Rey. We can't tell Leia."

His expression wavered with pity for a split second before hardening and turning to face Rose. Her bottom lip trembled anxiously. She was clutching her necklace tenaciously and staring into space, her eyes glossing over. "Where are we supposed to go?" Rey asked, her voice low and weak. Poe inhaled sharply and stared down at his sprawled out journals hopelessly. Kamino had been an optimal choice for the Resistance to inhabit, so where could they go now? Kamino was said to be absent from the First Order's charts, but here they were anyway. Rey's face grew flushed with distress. The tension in the room could easily be cut with a quick roll of her saber.

Before Poe could answer, BB-8 rolled into the room abruptly squealing with an array of beeps Rey had never heard before. His body shifted back and forth uneasily, various flashes of light exerting from his small frame. Poe nodded a few times before the color suddenly drained from his face.

"They've entered the atmosphere." 

Rose could not contain the sob that was trapped in her throat. She covered her mouth, tears spilling over her eyelids as the memory of her sister's death replayed in her mind. It was happening again. Poe quickly rose from his seat, reaching for his blaster and coat. The sound of deafening alarms and sirens begin to fill the room as the Resistance prepared to defect from the small planet. Rey could not move from the spot she was standing. 

"It's all my fault, isn't it?" She whispered. 

The two resistance fighters turned to face her, concern replacing relentless panic. The same guilt she had transpired when Ben offered his hand wracked her body. She felt like a forest fire in winter; as if her body were to turn to ashes at any given moment. 

"This isn't your fault, Rey. You told us, there wasn't anymore you could've done. For now, we need to evacuate with as little casualties as possible." Poe assured her. She nodded robotically, her eyes fixated on the small radar on Poe's monitor that showed the dozens of star destroyers. She tried to steady her breathing, holding onto Poe's words desperately, but she could not evade the stress that engulfed her. A scream shot through the air from outside the building. The air suddenly smelled of decay and burning rubber. _Fire_ , Rey deemed. BB-8 beeped and Poe agreed. "Get out of here buddy!" The small droid disappeared through the doorway.

In a matter of seconds, various explosions and blasts could be heard outside. The sounds alone were enough to make Rey feel sick. She stared down at her feet, her vision reeling in the stress of the situation. Ever since she was young, Rey worked well under high-stress situations. Ever since she became aware of the force bond, nausea seemed to consume her whenever greeted with a stressful circumstance. In the depths of her mind, the force bond convulsed. Ben was near. She had not faced him in person since he offered her his hand--which had only been a month prior--yet it seemed like years. The room shook and various books and journals toppled down from the makeshift shelves lining the walls. Poe's face filled with terror. Another wave of nausea hit Rey and she nearly collapsed onto the trembling floor. Rose quickly rushed to her side, slipping an arm behind her to keep her steady.

Then the pieces clicked together.

"Guys..I think...I'm feeling what Kylo Ren is feeling." She said quietly. Poe's jaw dropped in disbelief. 

"What are you talking about?!" He yelled. 

"Poe," Rey took a deep breath. "I don't think Ren wants this." Poe shook his head, covering the sides of his face with his hands. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he tried to formulate a plan.

"We need to go, now!" Rose interrupted as smoke began to fill the room from the doorway. Rey's heart felt like it was going to explode. As crazy as it seemed, Rey could feel Ben's regret trickling through the bond. He could not hide his emotions from her. Although, Rey could not understand why he was following through with his plan _if he quite blatantly regretted it._ Poe searched the room frantically before pointing to a small window high above Poe's storage crates. Rose and Rey nodded to each other and quickly ran to the other side of the room. The smoke now encompassed Poe's monitor, the only remnants being a few flashing lights flaring through the thick smoke. 

"It's too high!" Rose screamed fearfully. Rey threw her hand out, using the force to lift Rose upward. Her muscles surged with adrenaline. Rose gasped with surprise, but quickly removed the window's metal covering. She hooked her fingers into the small opening and pushed her head through. Rey released her, gasping for air and clutching her stomach. Something was wrong with Ben. Her power with the force had been weakened as if Ben's powers had diminished as well.

Rose slid herself through, stretching her arm out to Poe as well. He grabbed her hand, struggling to procure his footing on the vertical wall. Rey caught her breath and used the force to lift Poe through the opening. She clenched her jaw tightly, tears blurring her eyes, struggling to fight the fatigue overtaking her. "Rey, take my hand!" Poe called once he was through the window. She felt lightheaded and weak--as if her body was giving up on her. _No,_ Rey thought. _I need to keep fighting._ She reached out for Poe's hand, their fingertips brushing lightly.

The building collapsed.

"No!" She heard Poe shout before he was thrown away from the window. 

Rey screamed as concrete and infrastructure exploded from around her. Her body was thrown weightlessly into the ground, inhaling a great deal of smoke. She couldn't see Poe or Rose anywhere. The window was no longer visible from the immense amount of smoke and dust saturating the air. Rey's body swelled with pain. Her joints ached as she reached upward, only palming the void. Bits of dirt tickled her nose and she began to cough uncontrollably. Her awareness was slipping away from her and soon she wouldn't be able to resist the blissful void of unconsciousness. She squeezed her eyes shut, pursing her lips. 

"I need...to keep...fighting," Rey gasped as her body convulsed. She palmed the ground around her and only discovered fragments of rocks and concrete. Would things have turned out differently if she told Leia initially? Or if she had told Poe last night? 

Or if she had taken Ben's hand?

The last thing Rey heard was the sound of her name echoing off the shattered walls before darkness ravaged her.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"Rey, no, _please,_ stay with me."

Kylo clutched Rey's small body snugly against his chest as he eluded the obliterated building. She was barely conscious--but alive--but he knew she needed a doctor immediately. She looked so _fragile_ and _delicate_ confined in his arms, but he knew she was far from. He coughed through the thick smoke, squinting to try and see through the rubble and smoke. His hands were trembling against Rey's body. 

_If she dies, this will have all been for nothing._ Kylo thought nauseously. He tightened his grip on Rey, dirt soiling almost every area of her clothing. Her eyes were shut peacefully, blissfully unaware of what was happening around her. A sharp stab of pain had Kylo seething through his teeth. In the crossfire, a blaster bullet nagged his side. The blood had seeped through his clothing and dampened his trousers. The pain felt like a white-hot fire devouring his body, but he trekked on.

The smoke was beginning to fade. Kylo groaned a sigh of relief when he reached an opening in the building. The inner edifice of the building was mangled and exposed; haphazard wires and metal beams were poking out from the rubble. Electric manifests sparked and crackled. Bits of burned paper fluttered in the air, never to be vaguely intelligible again. His cape fluttered behind him as he exited the destruction; a god amongst plebians. 

"You!" Help me treat this girl!" He shouted at a random stormtrooper. Kylo could sense the fear and apprehension radiating off of him. If the circumstances weren't so dire, he might've reprimanded the trooper for even considering to neglect orders. 

"Sir?" The stormtrooper said worriedly. Kylo's face crimsoned with anger. 

"Find me a medic _now!_ " Kylo commanded. The stormtrooper quickly disappeared beyond the cloud of smoke hanging low in the air. He searched his surroundings and found that much of the aquatic environment was decimated and reduced to mud and dirt. Approximately 99% of the planet's surface was water and the Resistance had chosen to hide in one of the few naturally occurring plateaus? No wonder their numbers were dwindling! Kylo wanted to scoff at the thought. But he couldn't. Not with Rey barely clinging to her string of life. 

Kylo glanced up towards the sky as the rain began to drizzle down. He pulled Rey closer to his body, shielding her from the moisture colliding with the mud. 

"Rey, if you can hear me, I-I'm sorry. For everything. I'm going to make things right." Kylo confessed. He squeezed her arms and pressed her chest against his ear. Her breathing was shallow and her heartbeat was weak, _but it was there._ All he could do was hold onto that ounce of hope. It was minuscule, only a flicker, but he held it strenuously. After everything that had happened, Kylo was not going to let it end this way. 

_Ben. You will not bow before Snoke,_ Rey had told him confidently. Those familiar chestnut eyes that frequented his dreams for years saw through to him, unwavering. _You'll turn,_ She urged, staring at his lips. A fire kindled in his chest; an unexplored emotion that plagued him whenever Rey occupied his thoughts. She was close enough that he could practically taste her on his lips. She was the most divine individual he had ever seen. He was enticed by her power, _her ambition,_ her inability to stop fighting. Despite all of that, she was a forbidden fruit he could not savor.

How could she ever grow to stand him? They were on opposites side of the war--and Kylo knew Rey would not turn her back on the Resistance. As much as it aggravated him, her stubbornness was one of her best qualities.

He coughed raggedly, his chest tightening from the vast amount of smoke. One of the Resistance's hangers was engulfed in flames a distance away from him, the fires crackling and hissing from the rain. Tie fighters swarmed the air like bees, lasers shooting aimlessly at the Resistance's X-wings. Kylo could not see any members of the Resistance, for that matter. _How pathetic they must be to abandon one of their own._ Kylo thought.

Rey stirred in his arms, her breathing growing ragged. Her body twisted in his grasp. 

"Rey? Can you hear me?" 

_Where the hell is the medic!?_

As if on cue, the stormtrooper he spoke to appeared at his side, shifting his feet tensely. Kylo had a distinctive resentment for the low-class grunts.

"Sir, I'm afraid all of our medics are assigned elsewhere." Kylo could not contain the sweltering fury that came next.

"By whose orders!?" He screamed, reaching for his lightsaber without moving Rey. The saber ignited furiously, it's red plasma sparking uneasily. The trooper took a step back anxiously. Kylo wanted nothing more than to plunge the laser sword deep into the ignorant soldier's core and spread his entrails.

"General Hux, Sir." 

Kylo's eye twitched. He was going to have Hux's head. It was silent besides the sounds of blasts and engines whirring. Icy, painful, silence. His grip on his saber tightened until his knuckles were bone white.

"Supreme Leader?" The trooper said uneasily. 

"Leave. NOW!" Kylo shouted. The trooper stuttered backward, nearly tripping over his boots. He hesitated for a brief moment before turning and running away. Kylo looked down at Rey, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear gingerly, and rose to his feet. He scanned the environment around him, only seeing other ineffective stormtroopers. He began to walk in the direction of his Command Shuttle, scowling behind the sanctity of his refurbished mask. 

_If Snoke had seen him now, he would've been disappointed._

Kylo caught the sight of his reflection on the side of a building and felt nothing but self-deprecation. His hands trembled slightly.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"Finn, I don't know if she's okay. We were about to escape and then she was just--" Poe's voice grew small and strained. Finn intertwined his fingers with him, lightly stroking his skin with his thumb.

"We're going to find her. We're not going to let them win." Finn urged. Guilt throbbed in Poe's chest like a sore thumb. Except, multiple _that_ by a million. To Poe's surprise, tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. He drew a deep breath and released Finn's hand. 

"You wanna be my gunner?"

"Always am, always will." 

Poe beamed and the Y-wing slowly ascended from the murky ground. Luckily, Poe did not station his fighter in a hangar. He parked it in a secluded spot north of their base, hidden amongst the forest of abandoned cloning facilities and storage vessels. He didn't see any other resistance members. _Could this be the end?_ Poe thought anxiously. He gulped and the fighter lurched forward, slicing into the smoke sleekly. 

"To my 3 o'clock!" Poe shouted as a Tie-fighter began to shoot at the ship. Finn's quick reflexes had the Tie shattering into oblivion within a matter of seconds.

"I missed this!" Finn cheered. 

Poe swung the ship around, completing a U-turn to reach the Resistance base again. 

Or what was left of it.

Putting all power on the thrusters, Poe increased fuel intake and lurched forward. He maneuvered through the air swiftly. 

"Poe! LAND NOW! It's Rey!" Finn suddenly screamed. Poe's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?! Where!?"

Finn pointed a finger westward. "Ren has her! That son of a bit-" 

Poe threw his hand towards the ship's cannon mechanisms and prepared to charge power. He was _seething_ with anger. Too many losses; he was not going to lose another.

"Poe, no! If you shoot now, you'll kill her!" Finn shouted frantically. Poe groaned in anger and made a sharp turn to land. The sky was thick with smoke and dust, smelling like burning flesh and ore. Poe swung the ship downwards. The Y-wing's landing gear reached for the ground like hungry fangs.

"Rey!" Finn yelled over the sound of the Y-wing's roaring engine. Poe quickly put the ship into idle and released the hatch. Finn reached for his blaster and escaped the ship aimlessly. He landed onto the muddy terrain, a murderous glint in his eyes. It made Poe's skin crawl, seeing him so infuriated. 

Before Poe could reach the ground, Finn's body twisted upward metaphysically. Finn's hands were immediately at his throat, hissing for air and trying to speak. His feet rose from the ground, legs dangling in midair. _It was just like how Rey had lifted me!_ Poe thought.

But it wasn't Rey.

Poe's eyes locked with the snake-like orbs of Kylo Ren, practically shooting daggers into his eyes.

"You will leave this place and never come back." The bastard growled.

"The resistance will not be intimidated by you." Poe retorted, standing his ground while reaching for his blaster. Before either of them could speak a word, a weak voice cried out.

" _Help me..._ " 

"Rey!?" The two said in unison. 


End file.
